Sir,

Congratulations and thanks to Ian Williams for stirring the muddy depths. To be rewarded with brickbats should not have been his lot, though I am sure that he will withstand them.

We can reassure Christine Gwyther that we do not think that she led the campaign to save the Tenby Cottage Hospital. We are confused by her statement that the onus for the salvation of the hospital has always and will continue to lie on the shoulders of the League of Friends and Pat Wright. A change of mind?

In the issue of the Observer of June 6, 2003, it appears that Pat and Clr. Williams had written to Christine expressing their concern over the Cottage Hospital issue. Christine's quoted comment was that their letter "appeared to be more concerned with bringing down the Welsh Assembly than in protecting the rights of the residents of south-east Pembrokeshire." To the rest of us that showed nothing but political disdain for all the stalwart workers of the League of Friends striving for the hospital.

I think we should ask Mollie Neate to declare her favourite hat. Donning three in the span of one letter dulls our meagre brains.

We should ignore the section penned by the political hat as the usual spiel tends to confirm our thoughts that there would still be no action by the local politicians unless the natives had shown signs of unrest. As Ian stated - all their activity arrived 'late in the day'.

Let us now look at the next part, penned by the local campaigner's hat. To make sure that we all play on the same level ground, would Mollie let us know whether she wears that hat as a gift from the politicians, as the gift of the Local Health Board (that has no local connections at all), or at the request of the bulk of south-east Pembrokeshire inhabitants?

Or are we to assume that all the local representatives of the League of Friends have now been put out to grass by virtue of Mollie and the Tenby Implementation Group?

Finally, the magician's hat! Through the untiring efforts of Messrs. Ainger, Hutt, Gwyther and the Tenby and Saundersfoot Labour Party, we have gained 10 additional beds. A truly memorable sleight-of-hand!

Even we peasants are numerate, so will someone take Mollie by the hand, take her to the Tenby Cottage Hospital and help her count the number of beds therein. Subtract that total by 0 and that is the number of beds that we have lost !

Together with that number we have lost the care and dedication of the nursing and support staff who were the life-line of the area. Yet our magician has produced 10 extra beds! We are unbelievers - with good reason.

Ivor Jenkins,

23 Dombey Road,

Poynton,

Cheshire.

PS. I would be grateful if you would accept the apology for absence from the meeting on March 12 on behalf of the 'other contributor who lives over the border'.